What is the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering?

How do water, air, and organisms cause chemical weathering?

Water, air, and chemicals released by organisms cause chemical weathering of rocks when they dissolve the minerals in a rock. They can also cause chemical weathering by reacting chemically with the minerals in the rock to form new substances.

How do mechanical and chemical weathering work together to speed up the weathering process?

Mechanical weathering breaks rocks down into smaller pieces. This gives the rock a larger surface area for chemical reactions to take place. Chemical weathering weakens rock, making it easier for it to be broken down by mechanical weathering.